Did you wind up eating more of your children’s Halloween candy than they did? You’re not alone! For my first post, I’d like to tackle a topic everyone (including myself) can relate to, especially as the holidays approach: food cravings (and I include coffee, soda and other beverages in the category). You can pick your poison, and the most common substances found in our American diets are a no-brainer: sugar, salt, and caffeine. But did you know you can also crave textures, like moist, dry, crunchy or chewy, or that lovely, bubbly sensation in your mouth that only carbonated beverages can produce? You can also crave qualities, like light or heavy, or flavors, like spicy, bitter, or pungent. And some people, once they begin to eat in a healthier way, even begin to crave greens, vegetables and fruit–imagine! It does actually happen. But whatever it is you find yourself craving at whatever time of day, there are usually 9 primary causes of cravings and a few things you can try to combat them:<\/p>\n
1. Dehydration.<\/b> Often experienced first as mild hunger, dehydration is the one of the last things people consider as a source of cravings. But it is one of the most easily remedied. Try drinking water first before you reach for a cup of coffee, a soda or a candy bar, and see how you feel afterward.<\/p>\n
2. Low Blood Sugar (Hypoglycemia).<\/b> Not eating breakfast (just like your mom probably told you) and consuming sugary snacks and drinks leads to highs and lows in your blood sugar throughout the day. Caffeine, particularly on an empty stomach, can also cause a drop in blood sugar. Whether you are diabetic or not, blood sugar is a fact of life for us all. Low levels can leave you feeling jittery, moody, grouchy, sweaty, and irritable, and chronically low levels can develop into other, more serious health problems over time (like type 2 diabetes). Eating breakfast and lunch, and having healthier snacks during the day (like whole or dried fruit, yogurt, whole-wheat bread, brown rice, chopped veggies, nuts, and seeds) will give you more lasting energy. It may also help you eat a smaller dinner, which can be a great aid to losing (and keeping off) weight.<\/p>\n
3. Relationships and Lifestyle.<\/b> Unhappiness and stress at work or in a relationship, boredom, and even inappropriate exercise (too much, too little, or the wrong kind for your body) can all lead to cravings. A lack of love, friendship and connection (including to some type of spiritual practice) can leave a void inside us all that food, at first, seems to help fill. Cultivate relations with family and friends that make you feel good; think of things you enjoy about your job (or find one that you can enjoy); and include fun activities in what you consider exercise. Laugh out loud, a lot. Help others in need. Most of all, take care of yourself.<\/p>\n
4. Hormones. <\/b> Fluctuating levels of estrogen and testosterone (both are present in women and men) in our bodies can cause odd cravings, particularly for women during pregnancy, menstruation and menopause. The food we eat directly affects the formation of hormones in our bodies. When our hormones are already in flux, a poor diet doesn’t help. So try to go with the flow in this case, and reach for a healthier version of what your craving.<\/p>\n
5. Lack of nutrients.<\/b> Odd cravings may come from a lack of nutrients, particularly micronutrients (meaning primarily vitamins and minerals) that are lacking in our diets. Salt cravings may come from inadequate mineral intake. Caffeine cravings can result from a lack of overall inadequate nutrition. Eating a balanced diet is key, which means adding in leafy greens<\/a>, vegetables and fruits, preferably in their whole forms. Nuts, seeds and whole grains, too.<\/p>\n 6. Yin\/Yang Imbalance.<\/b> A concept in the ancient system of Chinese medicine<\/a>, ‘yin’ foods are expansive, and include sugar; while ‘yang’ foods are contractive or grounding, and include salt, cheese, and meats. A diet with too much of one (an imbalance) can cause a craving for the other. For example, drinking a lot of soda or eating too many sugary snacks at work may make grabbing a cheeseburger and fries on the way home seem a lot more appealing. Again, think balance with your food, and color (real, from fruits and veggies, not from food dye).<\/p>\n 7. Seasonal.<\/b> Our bodies may crave foods to balance itself out during the seasons. Spring is usually the time the body wants cleansing things, like citrus and leafy greens. Summer finds the body seeking cooling foods like ice cream, fruit, and raw foods. Fall is the time it wants grounding foods, like root vegetables, onions, nuts and squash. And winter may bring a need for heat-producing foods like meats, oils and fats. The holidays are also a time for seasonal cravings (turkey, eggnog and sweets), or any foods that are traditionally associated with the holidays in our culture and background. Going with the flow again, is good here. Add in seasonally appropriate foods to your meals.<\/p>\n 8. Inside Coming Out.<\/b> We often crave foods that we ate as kids, that we have fond memories of or associations with, or that were often eaten in our cultural heritage. You can still eat them, but try to cook or buy the healthier version. For example, I often crave Italian food<\/a> like my dad used to cook, and I make my own at home with as many organic, seasonal and local ingredients as possible.<\/p>\n 9. The Concept of De-evolution.<\/b> Otherwise known as ‘self-sabotage,’ when things are going well in life, something inside us that doubts and fears will rear up and pull the rug out from under our feet. Or things are going badly in life, and we find ourselves just wanting to give up entirely and throw in the towel. In either case, having healthy, satisfying relationships, work, physical activity, spirituality, and esteem for ourselves will get us through. Life isn’t always happy and good, but the bad never usually lasts, either. Hang on to what truly strengthens and energizes you (including healthy food), and you will survive.<\/p>\n Cravings, in the end, really aren’t the issue. They are just our body’s way of trying to tell us something (and often it’s something we don’t really want to hear). Imagine you’re in any situation that calls for caution. Would you walk into traffic with cars coming? Probably not. Whenever a craving happens, try to pause, breathe, and ask yourself, “What’s really going on here?” That brief moment may make all the difference in helping you understand and deal with cravings.<\/p>\n Look for the underlying causes in your life and in your food. Keeping a food diary is a fantastic way to track not only what you eat, but also how you felt after eating it, and what is going on in your life that contributes to your food choices. There are now lots of helpful iPhone<\/a>, Android, and iPad<\/a> apps to help the tech-savvy bunch do this during the day. Everyone else can literally try writing in a diary, recording spoken entries, or keeping a video log or blog. Putting all the information together in one place, can really help you understand the what, why and how of your cravings. It’s like putting pieces of a puzzle together, and it takes time to finally see the whole picture. Be patient, grasshopper, and trust that your body will always tell you the truth. It’s up to you to listen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Did you wind up eating more of your children’s Halloween candy than they did? You’re not alone! For my first post, I’d like to tackle a topic everyone (including myself) can relate to, especially as the holidays approach: food cravings…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":181,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[38,39,41,44,48,50,52,54],"yoast_head":"\r\n